Illuminating identification device.



P. L. BRIGGS & G. MORRIS, J11. ILLUMINATING IDENTIFICATION DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6, 1-908.

Patented July 18, 1911.

I nve niors Ikederzbk 1115121;

k M fl min/asses To all whom it may concern:

UNITED ST TE PhilF-ENT o IoE.

FREDERICK L. BRIGGS, or BROOKLiNE, am) GEORGE MORRIS, an, or BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS. 1,

ILLUZMINATING' IDENTIFICATION Specification of Letters Patent. July 18,1911.

Application filed April 6, 1908. Serial 1%. 425,199.

Be it known that we, FREDERICK, L.

- BRIGGS, of Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and State ofMassachusetts, and GEORGE MORRIS, Jr, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, both being citizens of the UnitedStates, have invented an Improvement in Illuminating IdentificationDevices, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings,representing like parts.

Our invention relates to lanterns and more particularly to lanterns foruse upon carriages, automobiles and other vehicles or cars..

It is customary, ii the-above connect-ion, to use lanterns to displaycertain informati'onsn'ch .as' the' license number, owners name or otherdesignation and, in addition thereto, to displayp colored light inconnection with-or idlieuiof a white light.

The laws of practically all the States now require that automobiles beprovided with asi n bearing the license or registration num er, yearthereof, and jurisdiction or State of registration, a'nd'a red lightupon the rear of the car. Moreover, it is usually' required that thesign be suspended from the rear axle for convenience in reading the samein the daytime, and) also that a lantern be secured to the car at nightat such point that it will throw s ch a light upon the sign as willcause it to 'be visible a certain distance, usually about s'ixtysfeet,more or less. As a matter of fact it is practically impossible to somount a separate lantern that it will illuminate the Sign upon the axlesufiiciently for it to be read at night except under the most favorablecircumstances. 1

Our invention aims to provide a lantern adapted to, display not only thedesired danger light, in this case the usual red light, but adapted alsoto illuminate the sign bearing the license or registration numher, thejurisdiction and year or other particular information desired, so thatit may be readily seen at night.

In the particular embodiment of our invention illustrated herin, igure 1is a front view of the lantern; Fig. 2, a rear view of'the same: Fig. 3,a vertical section on the line 33, Fig. 2; and Fig. 4, a detail view ofoneend of fhe lantern and the removable grooved'end piece and lockingpin therefor.

Referring to Figs. and 3 the lantern comprises, 1n this instance, aninclosingscase a, having a hat face 1),; a-Zcurved back 0, and

case is preferably constructed-ofone piece of metal or other suitablematerial, pro- 1s somewhat. longer thannit is high. The

Vided at the g With a :groove 0 or said edges may be. provided withothersuitable means for holding 'axpluralit-y'of glass or othertransparent-plates e, 6' comprising the front or fiat face 6,referred'to, .one or more of'said transparent plates bear-" in};diaractersor symbols fyfi ofrtli'e desired significance. In additionthereto, the face plates e, e have, in this instance, ared orcolored-area or strip 9 across one en'd thereof; either applied to orarranged in: jun-tar" position to the white.

Mass, denoting the} jurisdiction; the succeeding plates display. one ormore fi gnres glass, or the glass comprising the registration number andthe opposite endplate, at the right, the year of the registration of thecar. Acro slthei tops of the plates the combined colored areas 9constitute in effect a continuous red strip which serves for thecustomary rear danger signal.- This strip is preferable to the commonlyuse d bulls-eye red lantern, inasmuch as it is distinguishablethere-from; and while the common red or bulls-eye lantern is ordinarilyused to Warn travelers from all kinds of obstructions and dangers, suchas heaps of materials in the road and excavations therein,this lanternserves to distin-.

guish the car or carriage from. the obstruc tions referred to: After theface-plates e, e have been placed in position in'the grooves, thesubstantially U shaped end grooved piece it is adjusted across the endof the lantern face and, by means of a pin iinserted through holes 7, jin the cars 70, k on the top and bottom of the case, is locked inposition effectually to secure the face plates in place. At its rear thelantern is provided with" a lamp socket Z, Secured in an open'in in the;back wall of the case and adapted to receive a suit-able incandescentlampjb ulb m, and the electric wires n, n'there'for.

which,f'1'n turn, may be connected to-a 'battery placed in a convenientposition in the car, or connected by suitable means to the batteryprovidin motive power for the car. The inside wa is of the case may bepolished or enameled to serve as a reflector for the light.

Supporting strips 0, 0 may be secured to theinside of the back wall ofthe case if desired. There is also provided a socket piece 79, having aset screw 9, at the back of the lantern case by means of which the casemay be secured to the ordinary post provided therefor upon .the carorcarriage.

A leaf spring 7* is secured in the groove of sired to display theregistration number and title thereof the face plates may be readilyremoved and new and proper ones, displaying the new number and title,substituted therefor, even while the lamp is ighted. In this way anynumber of sets of' face plates may be easily and economically providedand carried on hand anddisplayed when needed.

By our invention the identifying characters are always visible when thelantern is lighted.

Claims:

1. An identification device comprising a one-piece casing having aconvex rear wall able information bearing members having each :1-semi-transparent area constituting in interchangeablecombination, aconstant ad ditional information imparting means of substantiallythelength of said casing, the edges of the. casing disposed to receive saidinformation bearing members, illuminating means therefor, a detachablelocking member f0] attachment to said casingland provided with a tensionmember to securely lock said information bearing members in position.

2. Amidentification device comprising an open-sided casing, lightingmeans therein, interchangeable information, symbol bearing members,holding means therefor in the top and bottom edges of the open side ofsaid casing, a detachable locking member I I a secured to said casing atone end of said;

open side and yielding means in said locking member to retain saidinformation bearing members against rattle.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification, inthe presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK L. BRIGGS.

GEORGE MORRIS, JR.

Witnesses:

EVERETT S. EMERY, ROBERT H. KAMMLER.

Cry antes of this patent may be obtained for 'five cents each, byaddressing thef Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

and beveled ends, removable interchange

